I recently bought a lab diamond engagement ring. As far as I'm concerned, the price savings and ethical considerations are well worth getting lab-made.
I recently bought a lab diamond engagement ring. As far as I'm concerned, the price savings and ethical considerations are well worth getting lab-made.
If you're the type of person who needs a gem, there is 100% no reason to buy anything but lab grown. (Unless you are using a sentimental ring from a relative.) Anything said otherwise is nothing...
If you're the type of person who needs a gem, there is 100% no reason to buy anything but lab grown. (Unless you are using a sentimental ring from a relative.) Anything said otherwise is nothing but propaganda from the well entrenched gem companies who are panicking that their blood drenched monopolies are crumbling.
I rarely get this vehement about things, but companies like Da beers are pure evil and have brainwashed society into thinking their pretty rocks that were mined by enslaved children were worth "3 months salary." Stealing the hard earned money off the backs of the people who are too insecure to not cave to marketing bullshit.
If I could go back in time and find the vile leeches who developed those marketing campaigns....
Larger clean stones are a bit more rare. Yes diamond gravel is extremely common but jewelry quality does require some filtering. Still, there's plenty of it to go around and it's value is grossly...
Larger clean stones are a bit more rare. Yes diamond gravel is extremely common but jewelry quality does require some filtering. Still, there's plenty of it to go around and it's value is grossly inflated compared to other much rarer materials.
That salesman ends with saying that the lab and naturally occurring diamonds are different products. But they're not. It's compressed carbon whichever way you slice it. I do so hope De Beers'...
That salesman ends with saying that the lab and naturally occurring diamonds are different products. But they're not. It's compressed carbon whichever way you slice it.
I do so hope De Beers' diamond monopoly falls. They're an exploitative blight on the world that sells a product that should be considered, at best, ill gotten gains. It's wildly overpriced to boot.
They've managed to stem the tide of cheap lab diamonds for now, but I hope to see that change at some point.
I saw some advertising a few years ago that was saying lab grown was inferior because the "natural imperfections" in mined diamonds added to the value. Nothing says uncompromising quality like...
I saw some advertising a few years ago that was saying lab grown was inferior because the "natural imperfections" in mined diamonds added to the value. Nothing says uncompromising quality like contamination.
Ha! Yeah that stuff is rich. They're still using that sales tactic. I could almost sort of get the exclusivity argument, they're finite after all, but not when the argument that follows is the...
Ha! Yeah that stuff is rich. They're still using that sales tactic.
I could almost sort of get the exclusivity argument, they're finite after all, but not when the argument that follows is the "but actually worse is better tho" nonsense.
We should probably just keep the crap in the Earth and leave it alone. Lab diamonds are fantastic and better for both quality, performance when used for tools, and let's not forget the ethics of it all.
Diamond demand across the board has weakened after the pandemic, as consumers splash out again on travel and experiences, while economic headwinds eat into luxury spending. However, the kinds of stones that go into the cheaper one- or two-carat solitaire bridal rings popular in the US have experienced far sharper price drops than the rest of the market.
The reason, according to industry insiders, is soaring demand for lab-grown stones. The synthetic diamond industry has paid special attention to this category, where consumers are especially price sensitive, and the efforts are now paying off in the world’s biggest diamond buyer.
...
The shift doesn’t mean engagement rings are about to go on deep discount — the impact is limited to the rough-diamond market, an opaque world of miners, merchants and tradespeople that is several steps removed from the price tags in a jewelry store.
However, the scale and speed of the pricing collapse of one of the diamond industry’s most important products has left the market reeling. Now, the question is whether the plunging demand for natural diamonds in this category represents a permanent change, and — crucially — if the inroads made by lab-grown gems will eventually spread to the more expensive diamonds that are typically dominated by Asian buying.
...
One of the clearest signs of the traction being made by lab-grown diamonds is their share of diamond exports from India, where about 90% of global supply is cut and polished. Lab grown accounted for about 9% of diamond exports from the country in June, compared with about 1% five years ago. Given the steep discount that they sell for, that means about 25% to 35% of volume is now lab grown, according to Liberum Capital Markets.
The impact on De Beers was clear in the first half. The Anglo American Plc’s unit’s first half profits plunged more than 60% to just $347 million, with its average selling price falling from $213 per carat to $163 per carat. Its August sale was the smallest of the year so far.
...
While lab grown diamonds are currently hurting demand for natural stones, the upstart industry is also suffering. The price of synthetic diamonds has plunged even more steeply than that of natural stones, and are selling at a bigger discount than ever before.
About five years ago, lab grown gems sold at about a 20% discount to natural diamonds, but that has now blown out to around 80% as the retailers push them at increasingly lower prices and the cost of making them falls. The price of polished stones in the wholesale market has fallen by more than half this year alone.
I also think that there is a growing trend of non-diamond engagement rings. I went with opal, and I know several others who also did not go with diamonds. The diamond industry really needs a...
I also think that there is a growing trend of non-diamond engagement rings. I went with opal, and I know several others who also did not go with diamonds. The diamond industry really needs a shakeup, so I am glad to see it start to really happen.
One issue with alternatives is that other stones are more vulnerable to scratching. You have to be careful that the setting "protects" the stone, especially for opal, which is one of the softest...
One issue with alternatives is that other stones are more vulnerable to scratching. You have to be careful that the setting "protects" the stone, especially for opal, which is one of the softest options. I got my ex an aquamarine ring and it did get a decent size scratch in it after a few years.
We got an amethyst for my wife's wedding ring. She absolutely loves it, but it has gotten damaged a time or two. Replacing it is not too bad though. Generally around $100, and considering we saved...
We got an amethyst for my wife's wedding ring. She absolutely loves it, but it has gotten damaged a time or two. Replacing it is not too bad though. Generally around $100, and considering we saved $8,000 by going from a diamond to an Amethyst I'll take it! Though I think for our 10 year anniversary we might try and get a harder stone like a saphire or even synthetic diamond in purple. She just loves the color, and amethysts have a beautiful deep purple color.
There's also a huge contingent of us out there that just...don't like rings. I'm proud to be doing my part for killing the gemstone cartels, but I mostly just hate having things on my fingers.
There's also a huge contingent of us out there that just...don't like rings.
I'm proud to be doing my part for killing the gemstone cartels, but I mostly just hate having things on my fingers.
I purchased a lab grown engagement ring 5+ years ago after discussing with my partner. We love it, it's beautiful, exactly what we wanted, and was 5%-10% of the price of an equivalent diamond....
I purchased a lab grown engagement ring 5+ years ago after discussing with my partner. We love it, it's beautiful, exactly what we wanted, and was 5%-10% of the price of an equivalent diamond. Shop around at online retailers and compare to local places that have lab grown in stock as well. I used moissaniteco.com and they had some really nice options.
I recently bought a lab diamond engagement ring. As far as I'm concerned, the price savings and ethical considerations are well worth getting lab-made.
If you're the type of person who needs a gem, there is 100% no reason to buy anything but lab grown. (Unless you are using a sentimental ring from a relative.) Anything said otherwise is nothing but propaganda from the well entrenched gem companies who are panicking that their blood drenched monopolies are crumbling.
I rarely get this vehement about things, but companies like Da beers are pure evil and have brainwashed society into thinking their pretty rocks that were mined by enslaved children were worth "3 months salary." Stealing the hard earned money off the backs of the people who are too insecure to not cave to marketing bullshit.
If I could go back in time and find the vile leeches who developed those marketing campaigns....
Especially since diamonds are absurdly common. They're not some rarity the marketing would have you believe.
Larger clean stones are a bit more rare. Yes diamond gravel is extremely common but jewelry quality does require some filtering. Still, there's plenty of it to go around and it's value is grossly inflated compared to other much rarer materials.
That salesman ends with saying that the lab and naturally occurring diamonds are different products. But they're not. It's compressed carbon whichever way you slice it.
I do so hope De Beers' diamond monopoly falls. They're an exploitative blight on the world that sells a product that should be considered, at best, ill gotten gains. It's wildly overpriced to boot.
They've managed to stem the tide of cheap lab diamonds for now, but I hope to see that change at some point.
I saw some advertising a few years ago that was saying lab grown was inferior because the "natural imperfections" in mined diamonds added to the value. Nothing says uncompromising quality like contamination.
Ha! Yeah that stuff is rich. They're still using that sales tactic.
I could almost sort of get the exclusivity argument, they're finite after all, but not when the argument that follows is the "but actually worse is better tho" nonsense.
We should probably just keep the crap in the Earth and leave it alone. Lab diamonds are fantastic and better for both quality, performance when used for tools, and let's not forget the ethics of it all.
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From the article:
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I also think that there is a growing trend of non-diamond engagement rings. I went with opal, and I know several others who also did not go with diamonds. The diamond industry really needs a shakeup, so I am glad to see it start to really happen.
One issue with alternatives is that other stones are more vulnerable to scratching. You have to be careful that the setting "protects" the stone, especially for opal, which is one of the softest options. I got my ex an aquamarine ring and it did get a decent size scratch in it after a few years.
We got an amethyst for my wife's wedding ring. She absolutely loves it, but it has gotten damaged a time or two. Replacing it is not too bad though. Generally around $100, and considering we saved $8,000 by going from a diamond to an Amethyst I'll take it! Though I think for our 10 year anniversary we might try and get a harder stone like a saphire or even synthetic diamond in purple. She just loves the color, and amethysts have a beautiful deep purple color.
There's also a huge contingent of us out there that just...don't like rings.
I'm proud to be doing my part for killing the gemstone cartels, but I mostly just hate having things on my fingers.
I purchased a lab grown engagement ring 5+ years ago after discussing with my partner. We love it, it's beautiful, exactly what we wanted, and was 5%-10% of the price of an equivalent diamond. Shop around at online retailers and compare to local places that have lab grown in stock as well. I used moissaniteco.com and they had some really nice options.